Recently, the National Academy of Sciences announced the election of its newest members, recognizing distinguished and ongoing achievements in original research. This year, 120 members and 25 international members were elected, bringing the total to 2,705 active members and 557 international members. Among those in the newly elected group are two of our Genetics PhD alumni: Robert (Bob) Schmitz (‘07) and Kirsten Bomblies (‘04).
Robert (Bob) Schmitz (‘07)
Bob Schmitz earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona before pursuing his PhD in Genetics at UW-Madison. He completed his thesis work in Dr. Richard Amasino’s lab, where he investigated the role of epigenetic modifications in vernalization in Arabidopsis thaliana.
After completing his PhD in 2007, Schmitz conducted postdoctoral research at the Salk Institute. He is now a Lars Ljungdahl Distinguished Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of Georgia. His lab studies how phenotypic variation is driven by natural and spontaneous genetic and epigenetic variation, with a focus on cis-regulatory elements and chromatin biology. His group integrates molecular genetics, epigenomics, and single-cell genomics to better understand these mechanisms.
Congratulations, Bob!
Kirsten Bomblies (‘04)
Kirsten Bomblies earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania before completing her PhD in Genetics at UW-Madison in Dr. John Doebley’s lab. Her thesis research examined how plants such as maize have evolved into their present forms, focusing on the genetic, molecular, and environmental factors that influence these processes.
She went on to complete postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology and now leads a research group at ETH Zürich. Her lab investigates the molecular and mechanistic basis of how adaptive evolution can restore fertility and core cellular functions following genome duplication. Using approaches in genetics, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, and cytology, her group studies the challenges faced by neopolyploids using Arabidopsis arenosa as a model system.
In addition to this election, Bomblies was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2008 and the “Golden Owl” in 2022.
Congratulations, Kirsten!
We are incredibly proud of our alumni and their continued contributions to the field of genetics and the broader scientific community. If you are interested in learning more about their research, you can find their lab websites here: Schmitz Lab, Bomblies Lab